Green Alder Pepper, or Dune Pepper, is the catkin (or flower cluster) of a variety of Green Alder. It isn’t, botanically speaking, a true pepper. While it is very similar to long pepper in appearance, its taste is quite distinct.

Green Alder Pepper’s aroma is rich and complex, with a strong floral side that verges on musky. It also presents a resinous side reminiscent of pine, invoking its native evergreen forest. It’s great for slow-cooked dishes, pickles of all kind, or for a homemade chutney. It pairs nicely with citrus as well. Of course its flavor is excellent with wild game, be it boiled or braised. Green Alder Pepper has a prickly, peppery taste, and hint of bitterness that can remind regular black pepper, so it can be used in a similar fashion. However, Dune Pepper is resinous, so it is not recommended to use it in a pepper grinder (it may jam the gears).

Our Green Alder Pepper is grown in Québec’s boreal forests, just north of Lac St-Jean, in semi-wild patches designed to maximize flavor after the harvest. It is gathered between October and December, just before the snow and sun of winter, ensuring it’s harvested at its peak.

This spice is part of our foraged boreal spice collection (épices boréales).

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We are dedicated to procuring the world’s best spices and blends. We’re constantly travelling far and wide to meet and learn from producers, locals and chefs and to establish with them sustainable partnerships that are fair and rewarding to all.